Foreign Ministry protests over new US military radar in Japan

Beijing criticised Tokyo yesterday for its plans to install a cutting-edge US military radar system to monitor North Korean missile launches, saying it could affect regional stability and upset the strategic balance.

The X-band radar would boost Japan's ability to track and intercept missiles. That was "not conducive to regional nuclear non-proliferation and stability, and will cause an extremely negative impact on the global strategic balance", Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

"Some countries or blocs in the region, on the pretext of the North Korea nuclear threat, have unilaterally set up anti-missile systems or conduct bloc co-operation [with the United States]," Hong said.

The comments came after the governor of Japan's Kyoto region, where the radar will be based, endorsed it. The facility will be staffed by 160 US service members and civilian contractors.

Hong's statement implied the radar was being installed for purposes other than to keep watch on North Korea, although he gave no details.

Beijing tends to see virtually all US military activity in Asia as part of a plot to curb China's growing power.